Mated to the Alpha King (A Royal’s Tale Book 1)

If there were ever a chance of me learning even one magic trick, anyone could bet their wool sweater I would probably learn how to make people disappear.

Sitting there in the cafeteria, my face resting between my hands, I continued to move my gaze from Marley to Jeff to Connor.

Apparently Diandra had left—moved over to live with her aunt somewhere in Seattle. Apparently Diandra had never been a werewolf.

It was as if her leaving had opened up this large canal of information about her that had been elsewise buried in her home’s walls.

I, for one, was still feeling incredibly guilty about how things had turned out for her, despite the fact that her dad had regained his senses and made a point to apologize for blaming me for his daughter’s faults.

Maybe that was why I refused to be a part of the conversation the group was currently having.

A sigh left my lips as my eyes drifted towards a laughing Alex. It seemed like he barely cared how much of a downfall he had caused in Diandra’s life. Though, he looked healthier and happier than he had since I could remember.

I suppose Diandra had been just as toxic to him as he had been to her that day but throughout their relationship.

As if sensing my eyes on him, his gaze moved onto me, and he stilled. His grin now turning into a smirk, he wiggled his eyebrows in a mischievous manner only he could pull off, and I almost let out a giggle at the sight.

But then an arm slipped around my shoulders, and a stiff growl sounded from beside me.

I turned, surprised, to the source of the sound and rolled my eyes when they found Roman’s hardened features.

“That pup needs to know you’re spoken for,” Rome growled lowly as he continued to glare at the indifferent Alex.

Probably hearing Roman, Alex rolled his eyes and turned back to the girl in his arms, then he continued to whisper in her ears, at which she let out a loud, obnoxious giggle.

It was my turn to roll my eyes.

“I think Bryce made a mistake leaving Roman in charge of your safety, Thi. He’s turned into an even more uptight moron,” Marley chimed in suddenly, giggling, as she leaned into Keith’s embrace.

“Control your woman,” Rome had spat out to Keith gruffly before he resumed glaring at Alex.

I rolled my eyes again, ignoring Roman’s protective hold on my shoulder. “Does anyone know why Matthew is not at school today?”

“Oh, he’s supposed to pat—”

“His mom got a new pet puppy, and he’s in charge today!” Roman cut Jeff off in the middle of his sentence. Getting up, he then pulled me with him. “Let’s go; we’re getting late for art class.”

I’d barely had time to think things through when I took hold of my backpack before tumbling behind Rome as he made his way out of the cafeteria. I could hear Marley grumbling behind us, rushing—just as we were—to get out of the cafeteria.

We had just crossed the cafeteria doorway when the bell rang, alerting us that we were in fact going to be very late for art class if we didn’t put a pep in our step.

“Mr. Naight! I see you’re finally giving us the honor of having yourself in our presence! Since you informed me earlier today that you were finished, would you mind showing us your assignment? I see Ms. Anderson is well secured in your arms.”

Roman smirked as he continued to maneuver me towards the middle of the class, the wrapped-up canvas resting between his arm and torso.

The class watched us with amused wide eyes as Roman and I walked around Ms. Sveen’s table and stood in front of them. It would be a lie if I said that having Roman stand beside me and act like, well, he usually does was not awkward at all, because it was; it always was. I almost laughed at the picture we were probably portraying, with him being the big, bad wolf and me the innocent little Red Riding Hood—“little” being mentioned literally as Roman stood almost a good foot taller than I, my head barely reaching his neck.

Well, at least he was better than Bryce; I barely reached his shoulders.

“The class is waiting, Mr. Naight. Ms. Anderson?”

Crap!

My head shot upwards, tilting just enough for me to look at Roman. Our eyes met, and his smirk widened.

Oh Lord, he isn’t going to help. Fook my life.

“Thank you . . . Ms. Sveen. Our project is already done and ready. If you could only give me a second or two to unwrap it?” I mumbled, fidgeting a little, under a couple of Diandra’s well wishers’ scrutinizing gazes.

It just so happened that the school had suddenly found itself being divided between people who blamed Alex and me for Diandra’s misery, and people who blamed her. Then there were people who just did not give a rodent’s butt about Diandra, as well as those who played Switzerland.

Personally, being under all these watchful eyes, all I wanted to do was fly off to Switzerland and get lost somewhere in the streets.

Ms. Sveen nodded softly, and I quickly got to work, gently but quickly unwrapping the canvas. The brown paper tore off, and my breath hitched in my throat. The number of gasps around the room seemed silent to me as I continued to watch, dumbfounded, at myself in the plain brown T-shirt I had worn on that very boring Thursday afternoon—the first day of Roman and my bonding week.

Now, looking at myself drawn on the beautiful canvas with a softness only Roman’s paintings seemed to possess shocked me even more than the rest of the people in attendance because he had picked this painting instead of any of the other ones, which I had actually posed for and had actually been aware of.

“Wonderful job, Rome! You have captured Theia beautifully!” Ms. Sveen chirped excitedly as she shifted in the borrowed chair at the back of the class.

“I suppose I have,” Rome agreed in a tone of indifferent arrogance.

I rolled my eyes at him as I moved back to my seat, pulling on his shirt a little as I began.

If I hadn’t known Rome, I would have called him a jerk. But knowing him allowed me to see through things. I saw through Rome’s facade. He didn’t like people; they were an acquired taste. It had taken me some time, but I had accepted this, and I suppose I was now fine with it.

“So . . . I’ve got bills.”

What?

I turned to the blank-faced Rome, my attention broken away from the wonderful masterpiece Lionel had also managed to complete.

“I gotta pay / so I’m gon’ work, work, work every day.”

Oh Lord, no!

Roman turned to look at me expectantly, a sudden smirk playing on his lips. I rolled my eyes, letting a grin of my own form on my lips.

“I got mouths I gotta feed / so I’m gon’ make sure everybody eats!” I belted out as lowly as I could.

Instantly, an even-bigger grin lit up his face, and he leaned closer. “Very good, little Theia. Looks like I have taught you well!”

I let out a very unladylike scoff as I grasped my pencil and raised my gaze onto the rest of the class.

Immediately, a curious gaze or two caught my eye, and I stiffened. The girls were staring again.

Throughout Rome and my friendship, I had found various students staring obviously. Many were even curious enough to approach me and ask if they had been right—if they had actually seen Rome smile.

As if sensing my sudden knowledge of them staring, the girls quickly averted their gazes, turning to face front.

“Hey, listen, I have to be at the Council Meeting today in the afternoon, okay? So I’ll come by to play guard by six,” Roman murmured, pulling my sketch pad towards him.

I frowned as he flipped through the pages until he landed on the drawing of Adam and Belle.

He had traced with this finger the edges of the page as he seemed to hesitate for a second before he finally spoke, “Maybe we could watch whatever it is . . . that you’ve drawn here. T-The Beauty and the Beast?”

I was about to reply when the bell for the next period sounded around the classroom. Immediately, everyone around us began to place their art supplies in their backpacks and move out.

“Sure, Rome, we can watch the cartoon.” I giggled as I turned to pick my bag before beginning to shove everything into it.

“What!” Rome suddenly exclaimed loudly. “ ‘Cartoon’?”

“Oh yes! Disney classic too!” I smirked, already getting up and moving towards the door. “Don’t worry, Rome—we will have lots of fun watching it!”

“We’re not watching it, Thi!” Rome huffed behind me as I walked out of the room. The halls were less crowded than on normal days.

I couldn’t help but turn to give Rome a mischievous smile. “Oh yes, we are.”

***

It had turned out that our last two classes were free since, surprisingly, both our math and gym teachers seemed to be caught up with some personal commitments, and well, that was how I currently found myself sitting under a large tree with the group.

I watched warmly as Marley leaned into Keith’s embrace. Internally, I couldn’t help but desperately shove down an aching longing for Bryce.

“Anyone up for Insidious: Chapter 3?” Jeff suddenly spoke, pushing his nerd glasses back into position as he continued to scroll through his phone.

A shudder ran down my spine as I recalled the horrifying trailer, and I immediately prepared to shake my head. There was no way in Neptune’s throne that I was going to go watch that disaster.

“A disaster to your sleep, you mean?” Connor chuckled as he lowered himself beside me.

Shit.

I face-palmed. “Said that out loud, didn’t I?”

Connor chuckled again. “Always do.”

“Just so you know, we’re taking you. I already booked us the tickets—non-refundable.” Jeff grinned, making a final tap on his iPhone screen before slipping it into his front pocket.

“Oh, this is going to be fun!” Marley giggled as Keith landed another one of his kisses on her forehead.

I scowled at each and every one of them as I slipped my phone out of my pocket and quickly tapped on Create New Message.

Just then, a ping sounded, and I smiled as I read the sender’s name.

Guess what?

Dad’s taking us on a family vacation to Hawaii! Isn’t that amazing?

Angelo doesn’t want to go, though. He has been sour since his return. Can you do me a favor, Thi? Message him, please. Maybe he’ll listen to you?

Anyways, how are you? How are things with your alpha male going? All good, I hope!

Your Baby Momma,

Casey

I couldn’t help but smile as I typed back a quick reply, and I’d pressed on Send just before my ringtone began blaring around the moderately populated school grounds.

“Hello.”

I stilled, my vision already becoming blurry.

“I love you,” I breathed into my phone. I clutched my iPhone harder against my ear as I heard Bryce let out a shaky breath from the other end of the line.

I knew it was affecting him, too, the distance.

“I miss you,” I mumbled into the phone again, letting his deep breaths be answer enough. “I hope you’re okay.”

“I love you, Theia.” Bryce’s deep voice sounded solemn, and I nodded, completely forgetting for a second that he could not see me.

“I miss you,” I then repeated, leaning down to place my head against my knees. It was hard enough to endeavor not to cry in front of my friends. It was horrible, crying because you couldn’t stay away from your boyfriend for a few hours. How pathetic was I?

“I’ll be there by Friday, love,” Bryce mumbled back.

I sighed. Was it pathetic that a week seemed too long? Damn it, I was becoming clingy! I shook my head to rid it of some of the emotions before finally replying, “Take care of yourself, will you?”

“I will.” Bryce had paused for a second before he continued, “I don’t want even a hair out of place on you when I get back, Theia.”

A soft giggle left my lips, and I rolled my eyes. A quick glance at the group had me blushing bright red. Each and every one of them was making a smooching face—well, everyone except Marley. She, for the first time, was actually also blushing her face off. It was then that I noticed the dark mark on the crook of her neck. I made a mental note to ask her about that later as I quickly turned to my phone again.

“Yes, sir,” I muttered back, managing to get enough sarcasm into that reply, a large smile etching itself on my lips.

“I’m serious, Theia; I don’t want even a single hair on your head out of place!”

I smirked at his low, warning tone. “Or what?” I then grinned as I leaned into the phone more, the teasing remarks from behind me getting louder by the minute.

A shiver ran down my arms as I heard Bryce chuckle on the other end of the line. “I don’t think your friends would like to know, Thi.”

“Right on, mate!” Jeff mumbled as he leaned back into the tree and closed his eyes.

The rest of the guys’ and my eyes grew and stayed wide as we waited for Bryce’s reply. Lord knows Jeff knew nothing of whom I was talking to and what his position was, both in my life and in that of everyone else present.

“Tell your friends I said hey.” Bryce chuckled, and I let out the breath I’d been holding. Lately, he had been getting a little too territorial and violent with people. I felt a little weight shift upon seeing that he was not quick to lose his temper at Jeff’s little mumble.

“Bryce said hi.” I grinned at everyone, who I was sure saw the blush that was now burning my cheeks. Thankfully, they seemed to ignore that and instead all yelled hey in different ways.

Bryce chuckled again from his end of the line.

“I love you,” I mumbled slowly, turning away to face the vast expanse of green. Rosenberg High School really did have a great amount of land to call its own.

“You know I love you, too, don’t you?”

I sighed. “I know.”

“Is Rome taking good-enough care of you?”

A giggle left my lips, and I snuggled closer to my cashmere sweater. “Oh yes, he is great! In fact we’re going to watch Beauty and the Beast tonight!”

My smile widened as a deep laugh rumbled from the phone.

“I’m sure he will have fun.”

“I’m sure he will!”

“I love you. You know that, right?”

“You’ve told me that three times during this phone call. And you say it all the time—well . . . most of the time. So yes, I know. I love you too.”

“Will you two just keep repeating that? You love each other! We all know that! Now, move on, little kiddies!” Roman shouted to me, and I quickly looked up to stare at him with wide eyes, my blush further burning my face.

“Shut up, cousin,” Bryce growled playfully. “I have to go now, love, but I’m going to call you tonight, okay? Be safe, be good, and I’ll see you in three days.”

The heaviness in my chest was back. I was acting like a little kid again, craving Bryce here with me. This needed to stop before I’d embarrass myself.

“Okay. I miss you lots,” I whispered back, trying to sound as broken as I suddenly felt. Why did it feel like I was about to lose Bryce?

As if he had caught the slight break in my voice, Bryce growled. However, this time, it was not playfully; this time, he was serious. “Don’t make me pack everything up and show up there by midnight.”

My breath got caught in my throat, and I almost choked on my own saliva. “N-no, you have work there. Sort that out, okay? I’m fine, promise.”

I could hear Bryce sigh and move about wherever he was. “Okay. I’ll call you tonight, alright?’

“Mm-hmm,” I sighed as I closed my eyes, trying to let go of the panic that was fighting me within my chest.

“I love you.”

My lips quirked up. “I love you.”

The phone stayed still against my ear, even when Bryce had disconnected the call. I couldn’t help but keep it near and be still in my position. It felt like time wasn’t moving.

And somehow, suddenly, I didn’t really want it to. Or if it should . . . I at least wanted Bryce here with me.

***

“You sure? I could always skip the Council Meeting?” Rome asked me for the fifth time as we sat in his car, in my driveway.

I shook my head as I leaned in to give him a hug before moving out of the car. Turning back, I leaned against the car window. “It’s fine, Rome. I’ll see you later tonight, okay?”

“Okay.” Rome sent me one of his rare smiles, and mine fluttered into a full-blown one. His rare smiles always made me feel better; they were beautiful. I suppose it’s always a wonder to see the “always-angry” ones glow up with full smiles. The always-angry ones are the ones who own smiles that can blow the world away. Or are those the “always-sad” ones?

My smile still on, I walked to the door and, upon reaching it, slipped the key into the lock, then pushed it open.

The smell of freshly baked cookies scented the entire house, and I could almost hear my stomach beginning to grumble.

“I’ll bring your cookies and warm chocolate up in a few, dear!” I heard Agnus call out just as I began to drag myself upstairs and towards my room.

“Thank you, Agy!” I yelled back, my mouth already salivating in anticipation of the moment when I could devour my cookies.

Home—I smiled as the familiar scent of my room hit my nostrils in full force as I opened the door and walked in. It smelled of gardenias and rain.

“I need to bathe,” I mumbled to myself in a tired voice before flinging my bag onto the study table’s seat and marching towards my bathroom, clothes and shoes still on.

***

Freshly showered and sweat-free, I moved back into my bedroom with another full-blown smile. I had given myself a good long lecture in the bathroom, and now, accepting that Bryce would be back in three days seemed easier.

I had noticed that there were some changes in my room as I walked in: One, a tray laid in a usually vacant spot on my study table, with a still-warm cup of chocolate and freshly baked cookies beautifully on full display. Two, the windows were wide open, the rapidly cooling air making its way into the room.

Almost immediately spotting the castle, I moved towards the window and leaned against it.

I looked at the mist as it surrounded the neighboring mountains and trees, almost enveloping the castle as if it were its cashmere jacket. My gaze moved onto the floor I was once supposed to be on. I had almost immediately caught it.

It was in the older part of the castle, and even though my wing and I had a lot of distance between us, I knew there was no claiming otherwise; that part of the castle really was magnificent, even from a distance.

Then, in the next minute, my whole world came crumbling down.

A gasp ripped through my lips as my hands moved to clutch my head. Bits of the object that had just a second ago slammed into and broken through it were still deep into my skin.

I could feel a wet warmth dripping onto my forehead and down my cheeks, the pungent smell of iron now holding my full attention.

My axis turned as I continued watching my white tank top soaking slowly in red.

I’m bleeding, I thought numbly as I tried to cling harder to my head. Bryce will save me.

After taking a short breath, I tried to turn to face my assaulter. Maybe if I could turn around . . . Maybe if I could just see who would do such a thing . . .

Despite all the pain and periodic blankness, I gasped as I saw my assaulter. Everything stood stagnant—every feature. But what I knew I would never forget . . . were the sharp-green eyes.

“Now you’ll know never to shatter someone’s love. Good bye, Theia.”

My assaulter smirked and leaned into me. I had glanced down as my assaulter’s hand spread flat on my chest before I felt myself tipping back—out of the window.

I was falling. My eyes closed as the darkness overtook me. A long second later, my eyes opened again numbly.

Mom . . . Dad . . .

Darkness invaded my senses again.

“I love you. You know that, right?”

Bryce . . .

I smiled as I opened my eyes . . . Bryce’s face flashed across them again—the first time I saw him, us in his room, his beast . . .

Roman . . . Matt . . . Marley . . .

My eyes closed, and I sighed. I was getting tired now. Was it okay to be too numb to worry about death?

Bryce will save me . . .

Casey’s platinum-blonde hair swam across my eyes, then I looked as Angelo’s piercing gray eyes looked back at me.

My eyes opened again. I was still falling. The air rushed against me as gravity did its work.

“You belong to me, huh?”

I felt a tear slip down my temple as I remembered that night.

“What do you think?”

It was as if I was realizing for the first time how this was going to end: Bryce could not save me. He was in London. I was falling. I was dying. I was never to see my family again, my friends, Bryce . . . Everything I had ever dreamed of would forever be a “could have been.”

“I love you, Theia . . . I’ll see you in three days.”

“I love you, too, Bryce.” It was barely a whisper, but it sounded like a yell to me. I was about to die. I didn’t want to, but no one could save me. My vision began to blur, but this time I couldn’t bring myself to mind.

I knew I was so close to the ground now.

Any second now . . .

Darkness enveloped me again, and I fell into it. I was wrapping my arms around the darkness when I fell against something hard.

That something began to speak, but I could barely hear anything beyond the dark haziness. As if for the final time, the dark haze cleared, and I managed to open my eyes. My withering gaze linked with panicked brown orbs.

I let out a labored breath. The darkness was finally coming to embrace me forever. This was it . . .

“Matthew . . .”

My eyes traced the brown ones above them. I could only whisper his name before the last bits of life were sucked out of me.

And it was at that moment that I knew . . . death feels like a fall.